Key holder



April 1, 1947. BLACK 2,418,330

KEY HOLDER Filed NOV. l4, 1945 6 I gwrok.

Patented Apr. 1, 1947 UNITED STATES" PATENT orrlce KEY owen Benjamin Black, Bronx, N. Y. Application November 14, 1945, Serial No. 628,411

This invention relates to article holders such as devices for mounting keys.

()ne object of the invention isto provide a device of the character described having improved means for mounting one or more keys for a movement to a projected operative position or to a retracted housed position in a particularly simple and convenient manner.

' Another object of the invention is to furnish a device of the nature set forth which consists essentially of only two parts cooperating in an 7 improved manner to retain one or more keys in retracted locked position by yielding or spring interengagement between the parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned which is inexpensive to manufacture, durable, reliable and highly efficient in use, and which by its improved 4 Claims. (Cl. 70456) structure is adapted to be made of plastic, metal $11; other materials by molding, stamping or the Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing: 1

Figure 1 is a side View of a device embodying the invention, locked to retain a series of key shown in dot-dash lines. T

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view like that of Fig. 1 but showing the key holder in released position whereby certain keys may be outwardly moved as indicated in dot-dash lines.

Fig. .4 is a sectional view but showing the ring-element as it passes the releasing position.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the key holder corresponding to its position as shown in Fig. 1.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined, but useful embodiments may be produced involving less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing. there- 2 fore, is submitted merely as showing a preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Ill denotes an article or key holder embodying the invention. The same includes a generally U-shaped. member ll having at one end a bight portionUl2, the other ends I3 being free of each other, thus forming arms Hi which are spaced from each other according to the number of keys l5 which it is desired to retain. The arms I4 .may be in spaced, generally parallel relation to each other and may be slightly curved or provided with bent or angular portions such as l6, and desirably the latter may converge toward their ends [3. At the bight l2, the member ll may have a headed portion I! which may be produced by undercutting the edges of the arms as at l8. Intermediate of the ends of the arms, or generally centrally to the ends thereof, the arms may be provided with engaging portions or shoulders [9. The latter may be produced by causing the edges '20 of the arms to diverge in a direction toward the ends l3. the side edges 2| of the arms may be parallel to each other, and the width of the arms at this region may be equal to or slightly lessthan that of the head H. y l

At the end of the member I l remote from the bight a pin or other mounting element 22 is provided carried by one or both of the arms. Preferably this pin interconnects the arms H and is adapted to pass through the usual holes formed in the keys [5. A conventional pin structure may include the headed thimble 23 and a screw element 24 threaded thereinto whereby the arms II are secured together against a bunch of keys. Because of the resilience of the member I l its arms are always spaced to contact with the heads of the elements 23 and 24 regardless of the number of keys positioned in the holder. The pin device 22 is of course adapted to be unscrewed for mounting the keys in a reliable manner.

The element 25 is constructed to embrace the arms II, and for this purpose it may be of generally ring-form, and may consist of a closed ring for rigidity. This element 25 may be of any suitable shape or oval as shown. It is arranged to be slidable along the arms so as to be retained against loss by the head I1. It is also engageable with the shoulders l9 whereby it is maintained in a key locking position. It may be prevented from accidental removal at the ends l3 by the heads of the keys or by making the heads of the pin device 22 sufliciently large.

Beyond the shoulders [9' The parts H and 25 may be constructed of sheet metal or they can be inexpensively molded of plastic. If desired, the part I I may even be stamped out of sheet plastic and then heated and bent to producethe bight at l2 and the portions I 6.

The use of the key holder will now be briefly described. The keys being mounted on the pin device 22, they are located between the arms II and are swingable to lie substantially wholly between these arms in the retracted position shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Then the ring element 25 is moved toward the free end of the holder, causing the arms H to be yieldingly deflected toward each other as shown in Fig. 4. When the element 25 passes the shoulders Hi, the arms ll move apart as shown in Fig. 2 and the element 25 is thus releasably locked by the shoulders l9 and embraces the keys I so as to retain them in the retracted position. The key holder with the bunch of keys can now be conveniently carried in ones pocket or on a clip or chain. If the operator desires to use a key, he merely pushes the ring element 25 toward the bight l2 causing the element to readily ride over the inclined or curved shoulders 19. deflecting the arms II toward each other so that the element releases the keys whereby the latter may be outwardly swung and the selected key moved to the fully outwardly projected position indicated in Fig. 3. It will be apprec ated that the device 10 illustrates an essentially two-piece key holder for a bunch of keys in wh ch the two pieces cooperate by a releasable resilient action of one of them for locking and retaining the keys in retracted housed position. It will be understood that the key holder may also be released by applying finger pressure to the arms to deflect the same toward each other whereby the ring element may be moved to retracted position. With such an operation of the device, the shoulders l9 may be substantially increased in size so as to hold the ring element in key locking position even if the arms should be initially partially deflected toward each other by the pin mounting screw device.

I claim:

v 1. A key holder,-including a U-shaped member having a pin on one end of the arms interconnecting the same and being transverse thereto, said pin being releasable to engage in the hole of a key for mounting the same between said arms with the keys being swingable into retained position in which the keys lie substantially entirely between the arms, a ring-like element transverse to the arms and embracing the same, said element being slidable along the arms toward the ends thereof but in spaced relation thereto for embracing the keys in their retained position, and said element being movable toward the bight of the member for releasing the keys to permit the same to be outwardly swung into operative position, and means interengaging the member and element to hold the latter in the key retainingposition, one of the member and element parts being resilient and cooperating with said means for yieldingly holding the latter in the key retaining position, whereby said means is released by forcibly moving the same toward the bight.

2. A key holder including a U-shaped member of resilient material having its arms provided at their ends remote from the bight with pin means for mounting keys between the arms, a ring-like element around the arms and movable therealong to a first position and to a second position, said element engaging around the keys in its first position and releasing the keys in its second position, said element lying adjacent to the bight of the member in its second position, the'member having a portion at the bight for retaining the element against removal from the member in the second position of the element, and the member having a portion lying in the path of the element and serving to releasably lock the element in its first position, said locking portion and the element being disengageable by inward resilient deflection of an arm of the member to permit the element to be moved to the second position.

3. A key holder having an elongated first member having spaced arms having at one end means 7 for mounting keys between the arms and being interconnected by a bight portion at the other end, at least one of the arms consisting of resilient material and being adapted to be deflected at least in part toward the other arm, and a ringlike element embracing and slidable along said arms to a first forward position for retaining the keys in retracted, housed position and slidable to a rearward, retracted key releasing position adjacent to the bight, and means for retaining the element in the first position releasable by the said deflection of the resilient arm.

4. A key holder having an elongated member having a pair of spaced bars fixedly interconnected at one end and having means at the other end for mounting keys for swinging movement to projected position and to retracted position in which the keys lie between said bars, and a ring-like element sleeved on the member and movable therealong to engage around the keys in the retracted position thereof and in an opposite direction to release the keys to permit swinging movement thereof, and means to retain the element in key engaging position, one of the member and element parts being resilient and cooperating with the element and member to-release the element by a relative transverse deflection between the element and member.

Mudrich Sept. 8, 1942 

